This invention relates generally to apparatus having a slider carrying an element to be stored in a case, and retrieved, in an improved and simple way; and more particularly concerns compact apparatus wherein the part to be stored and retrieved is an information disc, such as a digital video disc, or a compact disc.
There is need for improved apparatus of the type referred to, since known apparatus is complex, bulky and expensive. Also, typical known apparatus lacks the unusual advantages in structure, function and results provided by the present invention.
It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus that overcomes the above problems, and that is compact and simple in functioning and operation. Basically, the improved apparatus comprises:
a) a case having a front opening and side walls, and a slider in the case to carry a CD or DVD, and forwardly movable toward and partly through said front opening,
b) a release at one side wall to be actuated to release the slider for forward movement relative to said front opening,
c) an arm at the outer side of said side wall and supported to pivot toward and away from the release,
d) and an actuator carried by the arm to be manually moved to pivot the arm toward the release to activate the release, whereby the slider can then move forward relative to the front opening.
The invention has particular application to storage and retrieval of information discs such as CD""s and DVD""s.
It is another object of the invention to provide the release to be carried by the slider, the case side wall having a through opening, the release projecting toward that through opening to lock the slider to the case prior to actuation of the release by the actuator.
A further object is to provide a pusher on the arm, movable toward said opening, at the outer side of the side wall.
Yet another object is to provide a second arm at the inner side of said side wall carrying the release to resiliently pivot toward and away from said opening.
Another object is to provide the slider to have a pivotally supported front portion carrying the release, to pivot downwardly. That portion is typically blocked against pivoting prior to pivoting of the release away from said opening. Further, the release typically projects into said opening prior to pivoting of the release away from said opening.
An added object is to provide for multiple exterior arms and buttons, to enable selective release of different sliders carried in the case. Those arms may be protectively concealed behind a flange or flanges associated with the case.
A yet further object is to provide a slider having a forward portion that drop-tilts downwardly in forward position of the slider, away from an information disc carried by the slider. The release may be carried by the tilting portion, so as not to interfere with information disc placement onto the slider, as well as disc retrieval from the slider.
An additional object is to provide two bracket plates one attached at its forward end to one of the flanges and the other plate attached at its forward end to the other of the flanges, whereby the two bracket plates then extend rearwardly, and sidewardly of the case in spaced and protective relation to said arm. As will be seen, two mounting plates may be provided to be respectively attached to the bracket plates, each mounting plate carrying or having structure attachable to a vehicle dashboard frame, whereby the case front opening is then presented at the dashboard toward the vehicle interior. In addition, an electronics unit chassis such as a CD player chassis or a vehicle radio chassis may be located above the case, to extend between the two mounting plates which may also be attached to that chassis. A highly compact, stabilized and multi-use assembly is provided.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: